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by cactus pete

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Ya'll get your own vote, though I have it out there in general discussion land, too. In response to the following pm I received, should I change the avatar or no?

One of your fellow TechRepublic members has sent you a private message:

From: jgeverett@...
Subject: Violent image
Message:
I am curious, no, disturbed, by the violence in your animation. Why did you feel this was the way you wanted to present yourself to the world? Even if you meant it as a joke, humor comes from somewhere. Is this really how you want people to see you?

Not that I am saying "don't do it". I am just sharing that I did not care for it. And it did not impress me with an image of professionalism, empathy, maturity, mental balance, or an ability to objectively solve and kind of user-related issue.

Advice from a former technology recruiter - don't include this with your resume, or where any prospective employers may see it.

Sincerely,

Jim

43 replies

by sleepin'dawg

I dig it and if you were in my area and came looking for a job with me, it wouldn't turn [b]me[/b] off and might even get you in the door ahead of someone else everything else being equal. But then what the hell would I know; I only have 700+ employees and look at [b]my[/b] avatar.

Any company or anyone put off by your avatar is probably not a company you would want to work at in the first place. Note: I said work at not for. I tell everyone they work for themselve, they just happen to do what they do to assist us in what we are doing. Make no mistake about it though, I'm in charge and the one ultimately responsible for keeping the balls in the air. If you make me drop one, I am going to want to know why. But maybe I'm weird, your avatar intrigues me more than it offends me.

BTW I got a message this morning commenting on my avatar, a different source but a dumbass comment all the same. Ignore it.

[b]Dawg[/b] ]:)

by tig2

I like the fact that it communicates a great deal about you, providing one has the wit to look.

by hal 9000

That the Puppy was yarning in the picture as it wants to go to sleep and you're keeping it up past it's bed time. ;)

Col ]:)

by jardinier

I liked yours best of all, and felt frustrated that I do not have the technical knowledge to create an animated avatar.

So please keep thumping those people who make stupid posts.

[I will have a medical kit on hand.] B-)

Well you have inspired me to change my avatar to something more appropriate (and easier on the eye).

The rose is "Mr Lincoln." It has a strong fragrance and is generally considered to be the best all-round performing dark red rose.

[Edited to change avatar]

by hal 9000

Give me a [b]Nepenthes Rajah[/b] any day of the week at least I can chop up the end users and feed the plant. :^0

The Nepenthes also have the added advantage of having fowl smelling flower spikes so they drive most people away to leave them and me in peace. :p

Col ]:)

by jardinier

They keep introducing new varieties and dropping many of the better known ones. In Sydney Mr Lincoln is always readily available.

Well here's another challenge for you. In my experience the rose (also dark red) with the heaviest fragrance of any rose is Papa Meilland. Can you do better than that?

by jardinier

when I started a discussion some time ago asking for suggestions as to what to include in my gardening website?

As for Chrysler Imperial, I think if it was ever available in Sydney I would have some recollection. When I was living with my Mum before moving into a condo, we had a large block of ground and I had 80 different varieties of roses, including miniatures.

I also had a friend who was a rose fanatic and we used to have long raves about preferred varieties and so forth. I don't recall either of us owning a Chrysler Imperial.

by maecuff

Who gives a flying what Jim thinks? He's disturbed by it? Perhaps he should stop being a little whiny t*tty baby. Good Lord, if we have to start taking crap like THIS seriously. We may as well just give up now.

by cactus pete

There are some people I wouldn't mind meeting in person some day, Mae. I love the way you convey yourself :)

by apotheon

Here's a question:

Do you want to work for someone that judges you poorly based on your usericon at TR?

. . . especially when your avatar thingie is so cool.

by hal 9000

You can please some of the people most of the time but there will always be the [b]ODD[/b] one that takes offence at anything that you may use.

I think that it looks great and here we don't need to be anything more than what we are. So if you're happy with it keep it if you are unhappy with it dump it.

I for one like it but then again I'm not part of the Politically Correct Bible Belt in the US, well for that matter I would really take offence if someone described me as being [b]PC.[/b]

If Jim is so disturbed maybe he should talk to his shrink about his problems and forget about you. He's trying to project his ideals onto you which in my book is [b]Unacceptable![/b]

How do you think that he would relate to this?

http://tinyurl.com/fz854

Makes yours look quite tame doesn't it? ;)

Col ]:)

by charliespencer

Stateside both Lincoln's and Chrysler's are readily available at almost any garden shop.

For fragrance, the best I can offer is Angel Face, Blue Girl, Sterling Silver, or most of the other "blue" roses. Unfortunately, black spot is rampant in the humid southeastern U.S. and hybrid teas require twice-weekly attention here to really keep it at bay.

My overall favorite is red "Don Juan" climber, but I'll admit it's not very fragrant.

by jardinier

But like I said, they are forever introducing new varieties and dropping old favourites from the catalogue.

A favourite rose in Sydney is Double Delight -- white with red edges on the petals, and strong fragrance.

Black spot is a major problem in Sydney also, although the greatest hazard in the area where I live is possums. They just love to eat the tender young shoots, and will bend down long new stems to reach the top.

Although they are a protected species, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them if I had a weapon. So one comes to an agreement -- feed the possums each evening with bananans and fruit bread, and they will leave the roses alone.

You might like to check the page "Roses" on my website: www.gardening4pleasure.com

and see if you know any of those. Although I have taken all those photographs in my own garden, that was at a previous location and 15 years ago, so I have forgotten the names of some of them.

by shellbot

some people have nothing better to do than send PM about avatars?

I'd hire you if i saw that..shows a bit of imagination and humour..and initiative (i say that as i haven't even bothered to find a decent avatar for myself..too lazy)

Keep it..(and now a look at my immature side) lets all use it for an avatar for a couple days..

anyone up for it? hehehe..then lets see how Jim likes it

by cactus pete

I think Jim first even saw it as one of my threads became featured on the main discussions page last week.

Given that many insiders are featured on a daily basis, I think Jim might have a breakdown!

by apotheon

Let's all plan to use that as our avatars between the first and seventh of June -- for a whole week. By making it the first through the seventh, we make it an easily planned-for period, and we make it long enough to be noted.

I think this needs its own TRI thread for planning purposes.

by tig2

While you haven't posted your intentions, I would like to think that you have decided to keep that which expresses you in a manner you feel good about. (Holy Moley, did that sound a tad touchy-feely to anyone else???)

:)

by montgomery gator

if the avatar promotes violence against printers, since that is what the scene from "Office Space" portrays?

How many people have been inspired to beat the crap out of printers after seein the movie? :-)

by deepsand

Per various sources,

"[i]What is a tree vs. shrub?

As defined in the Checklist, trees are woody plants with one erect perennial stem or trunk at least 9 ? inches in circumference (3 inches in diameter) at 4 ? feet above the ground (breast height), a definitely formed crown of foliage, and a height of at least 13 feet. In contrast, shrubs are small woody plants, usually with several perennial stems branching at the base.[/i]"

by jardinier

All my dictionaries and gardening reference books describe lilacs as "shrubs or small trees."

[i]1 any shrub or small [b]tree[/b] of the genus Syringa, esp. S. vulgaris with fragrant pale pinkish-violet or white blossoms.[/i] [Oxford dictionary]

[i]Any of various Eurasian oleaceous shrubs or small [b]trees[/b] of the genus Syringa.[/i] [Collins dictionary].

Albeit your definition of a tree is duly noted.

However I know of any number of large trees that do not fit your definition because they have multiple trunks starting close to the ground.

Lilaca don't grow in Sydney because it is too warm but do well on the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

by shellbot

how many people we are going to piss off? if anyone gets PM from it, we'll have to tally them up to see the grand total. most people woulnd't be bothered..but if they notice a lot of us with it..you never know..

closer to the date, we have to get as many of us as possible to do it..

by charliespencer

It doesn't get cold enough. The plants will grow just fine but we don't get any blooms. We have the same problems with peonies. Tulips will bloom the first spring, but all we get is leaves in the following years.

by charliespencer

I suspect you started that discussion over in Misc., a forum I normally avoid like a rabid pit bull with AIDS.

by montgomery gator

I like the image. The letter writer apparently does not have a sense of humor and/or has not seen "Office Space". It is just a fun clip from a movie, nothing to get excited or disturbed about. Anyone who was bothered enough to send you an e-mail complaining about it seems to be rather "disturbed" IMO.

by cactus pete

I think I replied earlier to another post that I was getting the idea most people liked it, or didn't care.

I'm keeping it, and not just because of the majority support.

I expected a few "it's my favorite" and a few "I dont' care". But I was concerned that there might have been more "Yes, you're an idiot and I'm very worried about you" than I expected. That was the whole point.

It had NEVER crossed my mind, until that PM, that someone could ever take the image as something "bad". I certainly didn't expect that most people who didn't like it would bother to WRITE to me about it. I never had a supportive PM about it... Just some posts saying they liked it.

So, when I was that surprised I figured I'd better check. I'm confident that not enough people who would care to argue the negatives of the avatar exist. Their numbers are so far over to that side of the bell curve that I need not pay them any attention. The sky is not falling.

Thank you, and thank you all.

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